


I let you down

by captainstarspangled



Series: five times peter has a panic attack in front of the team [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Hurt Peter Parker, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24895651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainstarspangled/pseuds/captainstarspangled
Summary: Peter Parker risks his life on a mission and it only hits him in the debriefing room.(Tony’s anxiety isn’t canon in these so he doesn’t have experience with panic attacks)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: five times peter has a panic attack in front of the team [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801429
Comments: 12
Kudos: 99





	I let you down

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys, I just thought of this series and I only have one other idea so if you could leave a prompt for the three other ones it would be much appreciated.

It was a hot summer afternoon and Peter was convinced he should've stayed at the beach with his friends when his Stark watch announced an attack on the tower a few hours earlier. His hair stuck up in all directions, shorts and sweat seeming to form an adhesive film to his thigh and his shirt was beginning to soak in his perspiration. The attack had taken down the main power unit of the tower, and buff Steve Rogers in front of him was a perfect shield from the bit of refreshment the fan at the front of the room would've offered. Peter smiled a bit at the fact that the man with the shield had become the shield, then realized that this was just a sign that the pain killers he'd been given had kicked in. 

"Steve, aren't you going to debrief us?" Nat asked from across the table, and Peter was glad someone did, because if he had to stay in this sauna any longer than necessary, he thought he might go crazy. 

Steve raised his eyebrows and shifted into a position that faced the table now rather than the front, crossing his legs over one another. "Tony asked me if he could do it today and I think that's just fine," he said, eyes darting to his left and making Peter sweat more. The sixteen year old looked up to see the rest of the team give him sympathetic looks as well.

Truth was, the youngest Avenger had messed up big time in the attack conducted with three helicopters and what felt like an army of allies armed to their teeth storming the tower. He had hauled himself off the top floor and into one of the helicopters, throwing out two pilots and landing the thing on one of the close by roofs, finally showing off the skills he'd earned earlier that year with Rhodey. This sounded good if you looked at it that way, but Tony had screamed at him repeatedly to stay on the lower floors, to stand back a little and to "so help me God" not get killed. 

Well, the bandages around Peter's biceps and his chest after the treatment of the grazing shots he'd received didn't speak much for him. He knew he'd been lucky. His rib had splintered and the bone pieces could've as well hit his heart. 

"It's fine, he cooled off a little in med bay," Steve said and rubbed Peter's shoulder a little, who was able keep down a wince, for his upper back was bruised heavily. 

Just as Peter was getting a little relieved, the Tony Stark stormed into the Briefing room and threw a small metal box on the table that landed right in front of Peter. "Fry please run the footage," the billionaire said when he sat down at the head of the table. 

What Peter saw were of course the voice recordings of what Tony said, and the on-going reassurance by the teenager that he 'had this', and then his complete disregard of the demand and the shots he received. If possible, Peter felt even hotter than he had before. 

"Do you wanna know what this interaction reminded me of?" Tony started, looking right at Peter who shrugged his shoulders.

"Try any conversation I had as a five year old with my old man, or a caretaker." 

The teenager stared at the table in front of him, not quite knowing what to say. His fingers were starting to tingle and if he wasn't sitting, he might as well have thought the room was spinning. 

"Only I would get the beating of a lifetime." The billionaire continued and Peter took a breath, looking into his lap now where his hands were trembling. 

"Tony," Natasha piped up because Peter's distress was starting to become noticeable, and it reminded her of what she'd witnessed before. 

"No Tash, he acts like a kid, I'll treat him like a kid."

At those words, Peter's right hand rose up to his chest, he was sure his heart was beating in overrun. The shaking of his hand worried Natasha more. 

"What are you gonna do, ground him?" Bruce said, looking at Peter with worry but wanting for this to be over as soon as possible. 

"Actually, I might just do that," Tony said with crossed arms as he looked at the teenager, not noticing the signs of the ongoing panic attack in front of him. "How about I take your suit away for a month? I figure that's worse than grounding you." 

"Mmm," Peter rushed out shakily and looked at the notification on his Stark watch that said his heart rate was dangerously high. 

Steve had seen the notification. "Peter? Are you okay?"

"I... I just," Peter heaved despite not being out of breath and finally Tony snapped out of his anger. 

The boy got up, took out his phone and shakily selected aunt May's contact to call her while time seemed to stand still in the room. 

"Peter," Steve said again and grabbed the boy's hand, who had reached May's mailbox since she was working and had her phone turned off. 

"May, can you... can you uh call me back, I think... I think it's happening."

"Hey Pete," the Captain caught his attention now that he'd hung up the phone, while Tony quietly told the rest of the team to leave the room. "Come on, sit down."

Peter was breathing heavily now, but sat down next to Steve, who had turned his and the other chair to sit across from each other. "Hey why don't you tell me about your favorite elements?"

And so Peter did, and when he was done, Steve asked to tell him about his favorite missions. Slowly but surely, Peter's breathing became slower, and his shaking started to subside. "Okay kid now just breathe for me, count to seven, okay?"

Tony felt sick to his stomach at the situation, and his eyes burned when he saw the bit of wetness under Peters eyes. 

Steve got up and showed Tony out the door in front of the debriefing room. 

"Steve I..., thank you," Tony said as he watched his protegee through the glass door, who was slowly but surely coming back to his senses and now seemed to be on a phone call with his aunt. "Was that my fault?"

"No, it wasn't Tony. I walked in on the kid's first ever panic attack at the gym a while back and nudged him to see a therapist."

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

"Peter begged me not to, he thought you'd kick him off the team no matter what I said." 

Tony slumped his shoulders. Steve was really telling him his kid had anxiety. "Is it Spiderman?" 

Steve shrugged his shoulders. "It might be a contributor, but the boy lost most of what he had at such a young age and he's approaching adulthood, anxiety just gets in there, it's none of your fault."

The teenager wiped his face when Tony entered the room a while later. "I'm sorry," he said to his mentor, staring at the floor. 

"Don't apologize for what you can't control Peter," Tony said then. "However, I am disappointed in you not listening to me while you're out there, no matter how perfect your landing was," he said with a slight smile at the end. 

"Yeah," Peter said because he didn't know what else to say, he was so embarrassed. 

"I will take away your suit for a month," the billionaire sighed. "However, you are invited to come here and work on it whenever you please, I know it's your summer break."

Peter nodded. Maybe this would do him well, having a proper summer break without Spiderman duties. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."


End file.
